AFL Fantasy is back for another season, and the team at Footy Prophet will again be supplying NMFC.com.au with premium fantasy analysis and tips for the 2015 season.

A near full strength side has been named to take on Richmond in the final NAB Challenge game of 2015.

The last match of the pre-season is a chance for teams to finalise their game plans and for players to get a last run in before the home and away season commences.

It’s also a chance for fantasy coaches to get one last look at their selected players and make up their minds before settling on a final team.

New Roo Shaun Higgins ($430,000) returns after a fortnight’s rest and will be looking to hop back into the thick of things.

He had a very solid first pre-season game against Adelaide and will be looking to replicate that against the Tigers.

Higgins switched position in Port Lincoln against the Crows, and nearly stole the game from the home side. Moving to the forward line, the former Bulldog kicked three last quarter goals and also collected 17 disposals for the afternoon. He ended up on 88 points, a very nice return indeed.

With cheap, productive backmen difficult to find in AFL Fantasy, Higgins represents one of the more attractive choices. Now in a team driving towards the finals, he has every reason to perform.

Higgins is also a versatile player, both on-field and in AFL Fantasy. As shown in NAB 1, he can be used in multiple roles and isn’t shy of big stage games.

In AFL Fantasy, Higgins can be selected in either your back or forward line. Given he is under-priced and appears in good form, he should be considered a prospect for either position.

Always a damaging player, Higgins has suffered in the past from sporadic periods of injury. He has played twenty games in only two seasons over his career, which has damaged his fantasy standing.

In order to really shine, Higgins needs to pump out another 20+ game season. Early signs are that he’ll give that target a fair whack.

Also getting a run this week are veterans Daniel Wells ($356,000) and Nick Dal Santo ($482,000). Wells and Dal Santo had quiet games (by their lofty standards) in NAB 1. Both will be looking to blow out the cobwebs this time around.

Saturday afternoon is also the last chance for players to put their hand up for inclusion in the best 22.

One player looking to make his mark is Brad McKenzie ($304,000), who has competed hard but hasn’t as yet secured his spot. Pick 18 in the 2011 Draft, McKenzie has promise in spades but has yet to play to his full potential.

McKenzie appeared in 10 senior games last year, demonstrating his ability by collecting more than 20 disposals in two games. After playing the first seven games of the season he moved to playing for North Ballarat in the VFL.

He played 11 VFL games in 2014, averaging 21 disposals and over 3 tackles. This earned McKenzie a recall to the senior side in Round 14, but he couldn’t hold onto the spot.

McKenzie’s pre-season form has been steady. He was the sub in North’s narrow loss to Adelaide, but he managed 11 disposals and three marks when given a full game in North’s NAB 2 win against Hawthorn.

The game against Richmond at Etihad Stadium will be a great opportunity for him to translate his good VFL form into a more permanent senior berth.

At this stage, McKenzie represents a possible Fantasy target later in 2015. If he’s named in Round 1, however, then he might just prove a smoky mid-price selection.

Another recruit to consider for your Fantasy team is Robbie Tarrant ($142,000), who is sweetly priced when you factor in his experience.

Tarrant only played a single game in 2014, after stress fractures cruelled his season. Now fit and firing, Tarrant is looking to settle into the strong North Melbourne side.

Usually a forward, Tarrant has been earmarked for a key back position, in the absence of Nathan Grima and Lachlan Hansen.

Key defenders aren’t usually your best fantasy scorers. But Tarrant’s price is so low that he won’t need to score excessively to earn a coach some handy dollars.

Tarrant’s NAB Challenge stats have been fairly encouraging. He was subbed out of the first game for a low 25 points. However, his second game was much better, a 15 disposal, seven mark effort that collected him 60 points.

If Tarrant can score anywhere near that in the regular season, then he’ll earn a handsome return that can be reinvested down the line.